Toyota On-Stand Press Conference

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Toyota.This is my first show as head of Toyota Motor Europe, so let me start by saying how pleased I am to be in front of you today.

I am South African, and have always been involved with cars. I started off joining Toyota in 1993. Until last April, I was CEO of Toyota for the African region and South-Africa. Then, when Didier was promoted to Executive Vice President of TMC, I also became the CEO for Europe Region.

In terms of direction, my first priority is to keep our company on track to sustainable growth, building on an ever-stronger product-range, and to ensure that Toyota is an active and responsible contributor to society here in Europe, as it is elsewhere in the world.And we have some great technologies lined up to get there – technologies that are innovative, but that are more than just pretty showcases. Because one by one, we make them relevant by democratising them.

The first example is Hybrid. With this technology, we have been fighting for cleaner mobility for almost 20 years now.

We have the widest hybrid range in the market, with 6 Toyota models on sale today, and we are about to present the new Prius and 2 additional Toyota hybrid models that will be coming soon.

Lexus has 7, with also an additional model on the horizon. So, 8 for each brand! In fact, this show marks a double celebration for us: globally, we have sold a cumulative 8.000.000 hybrids, and 1.000.000 in Europe.

So, how did a powertrain that some commentators called ‘a PR stunt’ at the time become so successful? Well, because hybrid is the practical way towards green motoring:No need for plugs, and no worries about range or usability. On the contrary – it actually delivers a more relaxed and rewarding drive than a conventional car.

But we also made it accessible. We can offer hybrid for roughly the same price as a similarly powered diesel.We continue to build on our Hybrid know-how, with our newest and most future-oriented technology: fuel cell. Sales of the Mirai are starting here in Germany, Denmark and the UK. And recently, we have decided to add Belgium with more markets to follow.

The second technology that we are counting on to achieve our goal, is deeply rooted in our philosophy to look after the well-being of our customers. I’m referring to the cross-carline roll-out of Toyota Safety Sense.This package of active safety features is already available on Aygo, Yaris, Auris, Avensis and Land Cruiser, and will find its way into more models in the months to come. In fact, by the end of this year, 70% of our customers will have access to this life saving technology, either standard on their new car, or as a truly affordable option.

And the 3rd technology that I want to highlight, is our new development programme TNGA, or Toyota New Global Architecture. In recent months, we have talked a lot about how it would change our manufacturing approach. It draws on our production expertise and the craftsmanship of our workers, to introduce more flexibility in our plants: flexibility in terms of capacity, but also more variety in what we can produce.Ultimately, TNGA will make for simpler, slimmer and greener plants. But in the first place, TNGA is about creating better cars. It is about standardizing the size and position of those parts which the customer doesn’t see, and using the freed-up saved resources on what they care about: better engines, better chassis, better transmissions, better safety and of course better design.

But this is a motorshow, so let me hand over to Karl Schlicht, who can show you what I mean in the metal.

Karl Schlicht, Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Europe

Thank you Johan.You mentioned better design, so let me start with a stunning example.About a year ago in Paris, we showed you our 3 door C-HR Concept. An idea for a compact, urban SUV with dramatic styling. Driven by that excitement, I am delighted to show you the 2nd C-HR Concept, this time as a 5 door. This concept serves as an inspiration to the designers and engineers working behind the scenes, because today I can confirm that this vehicle will go into production.

In a few months, at the Geneva Motorshow, we will unveil the final design of the production model.It will be based on the TNGA programme and will come with a range of powertrains, of course including our signature Hybrid powertrain.

C-HR fits in a tradition that we started in the early 90s, when we revolutionized the 4x4 market with the compact RAV4.

RAV4 is still a reference in the segment it created, with the current generation being the most successful ever. And today, we take it to the next level – by adding Toyota hybrid power – the culmination of 2 Toyota specialties: SUV AND Hybrid in one desirable package.The new RAV4 introduces the latest and most advanced version of Toyota Safety Sense. Our Pre-Collision system recognizes pedestrians, and Adaptive Cruise Control has been integrated.

In addition, the new Panoramic View Monitor gives a birds-eye image of the area around the car.The new RAV4 Hybrid brings Toyota’s feel-good driving to the SUV segment, with its 2.5L Hybrid system delivering 197 HP, with 115g of CO2, well ahead of any competitor with comparable performance. And it is also available as Toyota’s first AWD Hybrid in Europe, offering additional traction and towing capacity.

So when this RAV4 Hybrid arrives in showrooms at the beginning of next year, it will again solidify its role as the segment benchmark. And yet the biggest news today, is Prius – more than just a new generation, it is the rebirth of an icon.

When the first Prius was launched in Japan in 1997, few people could foresee the shockwave that it would cause.

But today, 3.5M Prius, and 8M hybrids later, no one is left in any doubt. And not just sales.Prius fundamentally changed the automotive and mobility landscape forever. Like the generations that went before, this Prius introduces an entirely new hybrid drivetrain that will find its way into a growing number of Toyota models.It has smaller and lighter components, motors and batteries with higher power density and reduced internal losses. In Prius, it will be linked to the most efficient petrol engine ever. Jointly, taken together, this ultra-reliable technology - targets an efficiency boost of 18% in the European homologation cycle.

But equally important, this new hybrid also delivers better driving, with even smoother and more responsive throttle control.

And still, innovation doesn’t stop there. It is also our very first model developed under the TNGA programme. Prius is built on an entirely new and much stiffer platform, and benefits from all the TNGA advantages.

Better handling thanks to a class-leading low centre of gravity, better safety, better ergonomics and more freedom for the stylists to match a provocative, emotional design to ground-breaking aerodynamics.

And inside, a welcoming interior with an instrument panel that combines high-tech features with a zen-like design and quality materials.Ladies and gentlemen,the new Prius!

Dr. Johan Van Zyl, President and CEO, Toyota Motor Europe

So ladies and gentlemen, here it is, the new Prius, the original hybrid pioneer, today in its 4th generation, introducing the very latest iteration of our mainstream hybrid powertrain, equipped with Toyota Safety Sense, to support our customers in any traffic condition and based on the first TNGA developed platform.

A product that more than anything else delivers on our promise to bring “always better cars”.Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending today and now, let me invite Toyoshima-san, the Chief Engineer of the new Prius, and Karl to join me for a photo opportunity.Thank you.